VOL . 102, no. 24
t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f t e x a s at e l pa s o
March 28, 2017
“I cannot think of anyone else who is as deserving of this recognition” UTEP President Natalicio recognized in Fortune Magazine’s list of World’s Greatest Leaders By adrian broaddus The Prospector
As students go day-by-day in their normal school routine, an unsung hero plans and innovates new ideas to better their school. UTEP President Diana Natalicio was listed on Fortune Magazine’s fourth-annual 2017 list of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders. Fortune Magazine sought leaders who “excel at leading effectively in today’s environment and teach three lessons: acknowledge reality and offer hope, bring followers physically together, and build bridges.” Natalicio, however, was surprised by the recognition and believes it reflects the school’s hard work. “I never know how to feel about something like this. To me, it’s sort of unreal,” Natalicio said. “I feel very happy at the visibility that UTEP gets with these kinds of recognitions. It’s not me really, an organization of this size—it’s a team effort. No one does anything alone.” She has garnished several prestigious honors and recognitions in the recent years as well. In 2015, the Carnegie Corporation of New York recognized Natalicio with the Academic Leadership Award. During 2016, Natalicio earned a spot in the TIME 100 Leaders category and also was awarded the 2016 Hispanic Heritage Award in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. All of which have led up to Fortune’s recent recognition, which puts Natalicio in a category among some of the world’s top leaders. Others in the list include Theo Epstein, president of baseball operations for the Chicago Cubs; Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic Church; Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada; and John Roberts, chief justice of the United States Supreme Court. When Diana Natalicio first became UTEP’s president in 1988, she had a vision to bring in a higher percentage
of Hispanic students to UTEP. Throughout her 29-year tenure, which makes her the longestserving president of a U.S. public research university, she has not only surpassed the expectations set for herself, but also boosted the school’s image on a national scale. Both Texas Monthly and the Texas Tribune acknowledged her strides in the early growth of the university, such as a substantial growth of Hispanic students from 50 percent in 1988 to 66 percent by 1998, and a research budget that has increased from $65 million in 1998 to over $400 million in 2013. “It’s been very exciting to see the powerful impact that this has had, not only on the students its served, but on the reputation of the university,” Natalicio said. “It’s really changed our national visibility.” Although Natalicio and the school have been criticized for low graduation rates in the past, she believes there are more positive measurements being brought to the school’s spotlight. The graduation rate for a four-year student in 2013 was 13 percent, compared to 2.6 percent in 1999. Also, in 2013 more than 4,300 degrees were awarded, compared to the previous decade where 2,200 were awarded. “Sometimes somebody gets to be out front and sometimes the news is good, other times it’s bad when you’re out front, so it evens out,” Natalicio said. “The news
see Natalicio on page 4
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PAGE 2 March 28, 2017
OPINION
Editor-in-Chief
Michaela Román, 747-7477
editorial
Student Government Association lacks transparency The prospector staff The Prospector
As the election process draws near and students elect a new student government, it’s worth looking at the current state of the association and their lack of transparency with the students they represent. SGA oversees important aspects of student life such as facilitating trips to conferences, and funding for different programs and organizations. A part of students’ tuition funds SGA through the student services fee. SGA’s meeting minutes are taken by the co-chair, who then gives them to the vice president at the end of meetings. The VP should make them available by the next week for the senators. If anyone outside of SGA wants the minutes, they should be available to them. For current SGA President, Sergio Baltazar, transparency and student participation was the foundational platform in which he based his campaign as an independent candidate. “I want to make a difference by making SGA more approachable to the students,” Baltazar said in an interview with The Prospector back in May 2016.
“We ensure student participation in the University decision-making process,” reads the Mission statement on SGA’s website. However, in the current stages of the present term, the digital footprint of the student organization does not reflect such ideals. Their website seems to lack records of multiple functions of the organization. The records for this president’s term are not publically available at the University Library’s Special Collections section where a book of senate bills, meeting minutes, bylaws and the constitution are kept. These documents include the funding student organizations recieve at appropriations meetings. Being that SGA’s website is devoid of current records, Special Collections seems to be the only gateway to information regarding the body of government’s current term. However, the most recent records presented are from 2015-2016 and head of Special Collections Claudia Rivers said that the library’s top floor is not the university’s official archive. When asked for comment, Rivers said it is unclear when these compilations actually make their way to the library.
Their records seem nearly impossible to find. Starting with the senate minutes, the online hub only shows the senate minutes log from the 2013-2014, 2014-2015 and 20152016 terms. While the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 tabs are the only active links, when clicked on, they lead to an error message. Additionally, the Legislation tab contains senate bills from the 20142015 and 2015-2016 terms, with the only bills available leading to the same error message. The Special Projects section is on par with the current term, however, it does not allow for any access, as it does not link to anything.
During his campaign, Baltazar addressed transparency as part of a point that was brought up during one of the debates. “Our website was somehow outdated and it seemed as if no one was using it,” Baltazar said. The roster of SGA members found on the organization’s website suggests a dissonance in organizational communication, with previous members no longer employed by SGA still showing as active members. Funding for the Green Fund was dissolved back in 2016, but a tab still exists for it on their website. The information for the Green Fund has not been updated since 2013. There is no information on the new programs that have replaced that funding.
The uncertainty in fund management affects the way the organization is perceived, especially considering the money is coming from every student. Maybe Baltazar wanted to implement measures that promote transparency, but was held back by the guidelines of SGA. As a collegiate organization, it is easy to overlook the importance of transparency and accountability. However, SGA represents a whole student body and it should be held accountable as such. Follow The Prospector on Twitter @utep_prospector
The Prospector is committed to the accuracy. If you think we have made an error of fact, e-mail the editor at michaelairoman@gmail.com
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Visit www.theprospectordaily.com to search the archives for your favorite articles and multimedia projects since 2007. www.theprospector.newspaperarchive.com cartoons special to The Prospector
STAFF Editor-in-Chief: Michaela Román Layout Manager : Ana Ramos Copy Editor : Christian Vasquez Web Editor : Adrian Broaddus Spor ts Editor : Jason Green Enter tainment Editor : Leslie Sariñana Photo Editor : Gaby Velasquez Multimedia Editor : Andres Mar tinez Staff Repor ters: Grecia Sanchez, Rene A. Delgadillo, Vania Castillo, Mike Flores, Mariana Rodriguez Photographers: Claudia Hernandez, Nina Titovets Contributors: Gloria Heredia, Jeremy Carranco, Claudia V. Flores, Alejandra De la Cerda, August Touris, Ramirez, Andrew Rios, Alonzo Mar tinez
VOL . 102, no. 24
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Letters will be edited for clarity and brevity. Letters over 250 words are subject to editing to fit available space. Please include full name, street address and telephone number and e-mail address, plus major, classification and/or title if applicable. Address and phone number will be used for verification only. Write to 105 E. Union, e-mail theprospectordaily.news@gmail.com, call 747-7477 or fax to 747-8031. The Prospector is published by the Student Media and Publications Board, 105 Union East, 500 W. University Ave. El Paso, Texas, 79968. The Prospector appears in print once per week on Tuesdays during the fall, spring, and summer semesters. The newspaper is not printed during holidays and when classes are not in session. The Prospector does provide news online at www.theprospectordaily.com. The Prospector is provided to students through student fees. First copy is free. Any additional copies, if available, must be purchased for $1 through the Department of Student Media and Publications. The Prospector is not responsible for claims made by advertisers. Additional policy information may be obtained by calling The Prospector at 915-747-5161. Opinions expressed in The Prospector are not necessarily those of the university.
THEPROSPECTOR
NEWS | 3 |
March 28, 2017
YouTube’s new restrictions affect LGBTQ content
special to The Prospector
Claudia Flores-Ramirez The Prospector YouTube’s new restricted mode was created to filter inappropriate material from younger users on the web. But when YouTube users turned on the mode and it censored several videos with LGBTQ content,
and that is where the controversy began. In the last couple of days, various LGBTQ YouTubers have found that their videos have been restricted by YouTube’s new guidelines. The filter is supposed to provide a safe search engine for children, who explore the internet, by taking away material with mature content.
However, what some people disagree with is that many videos with LGBTQ content have been censored by the web streamer. “I do feel the restricted mode is necessary especially if a younger audience is in control of watching videos without their parent’s consent,” said Kimberly Forti, a
YouTube makeup artist and senior digital media production major at UTEP. “As far as YouTube filtering LGBTQ videos, I think it’s not necessary and shouldn’t target a certain sexual preference.” YouTube responded to these allegations saying those videos were probably censored for containing mature content such as sexuality, profanity and politics. “I understand YouTube and what it was trying to do,” said Daniel Garcia, a sophomore mechanical engineering major and intern at the Rainbow Miner Initiative. “But I feel that they should’ve not banned all LGBT material because some of it is PG-13 and PG, especially because YouTube has a huge LGBT market. So for them to do that is very unprofessional—besides targeting and discriminating a community.” Many YouTubers got their fame by opening up about topics most people consider taboo such as their sexual orientation or transformation stories. “I believe the restricted mode affects YouTubers in a sense where they truly can’t be themselves on camera,” Forti said. “YouTubers
make a living off YouTube, and by their stats dropping, they will possibly be on the verge of losing a lot of money.” YouTube apologized for the situation and announced they were fixing the problem via an algorithm, which allows them to solve the issue step-by-step. “It is important to create awareness because no community should be marginalized, segregated or oppress and that is everywhere,” Garcia said. “And for the young generations it is important to see that it is OK to have LGBT individuals.” LGBTQ YouTubers and activists shared their concern and thanked the support they received from the media platform. “I’ve been making YouTube videos for almost two years now, I’m not as consistent as I would love to be because of school and work, but whenever I get a video out, the support I get is awesome! It’s really awesome to be able to showcase my skills and tips with people who actually support me,” Forti said. Claudia Fores may be reached at claudiaphr97@gmail.com.
Immigration Issues 101 By rene delgadillo The Prospector
Josiah Heyman, anthropology professor and director of the Center for Inter-American and Border Studies at UTEP, will be hosting Immigration Issues 101, at 5-7 p.m. on April 11, in the Blumberg Auditorium at the University Library. The presentation will explain the causes, consequences and public policies of immigration in the United States. “This is a basic survey of how the U.S. immigration system works, its positive features, its gaps and problems, and what are causes and possible solutions to concerns like unauthorized immigration. It will also cover increasingly important issues like asylum and refuge,” Heyman said. Heyman also said the current presidency has caused confusion and misinformation about immigration in the United States. He said this is one of the reasons why he wanted to create this presentation. “People are interested in and concerned about immigration in the border region. Recently it has risen in importance because of the rhetoric of the Trump campaign and the actual enforcement measure announced by the Trump administration—the socalled “implementation memos”
of DHS,” Heyman said. “When I have discussed these issues with people, they have asked to have the basics explained before getting into debates and details.” President Donald Trump has tweeted or said false information on immigration. After winning the presidency, Trump said at least three million undocumented immigrants had voted illegally in the 2016 election, there has been no evidence found to prove this to be true. Heyman said Immigration Issues 101 will use some of his research as well as data from the Pew Research Center as a way of giving people accurate data about the immigration problems in the United States. Some of this data explains how Mexican migration to the United States has slowed down in the past years. “After a long period of extensive Mexican migration to the United States—2.27 million net immigrants from 1990 to 2000, for example—net migration from Mexico has slowed down to zero and in some years actually is negative, with more people of Mexican origin leaving than arriving (-140,000 net migrants to US 2009-2014),” Heyman said. The presentation will also cover the causes of unauthorized immigration that exists side by side with legal immigration.
“Most
undocumented
im-
migrants do not have any legal way to immigrate, they are not migrating illegally because they are careless or impatient, but because U.S. visa law has gaps, delays and failures to cover important occupations where the U.S. demands labor,” Heyman said. Possible public policy responses to controversies about legal immigration, refugee migration, and
unauthorized
immigra-
tion and answers to some typical concerns, such as immigration and crime or immigration’s economic effects and effects on taxes will also be covered in this presentation. “I encourage UTEP students to attend because this is an important part of their life and community. It is a good point to see how university education is relevant to real life,” Heyman said. For more information, contact the Center for Inter-American and Border Studies at 915-7475196 or Professor Heyman at jmheyman@utep.edu. Follow Rene Delgadillo on Twitter @rdelgadillonews
Shootout Podcast @Shootout Podcast
shootoutELP@gmail.com
www.shootoutpodcast.com
THEPROSPECTOR
| 4 | NEWS
inbrief
March 28, 2017
UTEP’s results on statewide sexual assault and misconduct survey Prevalence of Sexual Harassment, Stalking, Dating/Domestic Abuse and Violence and Unwanted Sexual Contact
sga position openings The positions available this year are SGA president, vice president of internal affairs, vice president for external affairs, senator at large (15), collegiate senators. To run for positions at large, students must be full time and have maintained a grade point average of 2.5 or above. The filing period is between March 27 and April 8. Elections are April 17 and April 20. The term for elected officials begins in July.
Internship and part-time job fair
Student Affairs is hosting an internship and part-time job fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 29, at Union East on the third floor.
coba turns 50 The College of Business Administration is celebrating their 50th anniversary with a kick-off event at 9:45 am on Wednesday, March 29, on the UTEP Geology front lawn.
César chávez day observance All classes will be canceled Friday, March 31, for César Chávez Day. Campus will still be open, with limited staffing.
chart courtesy of cultivating learning and safe environments survey
By christian vasquez The Prospector
The UT System released a statewide survey on sexual assault and misconduct on Friday, March 24. The survey, “Cultivating Learning and Safe Environments,” consisted of 3,012 UTEP students and more than 28,000 students from 13 out of 14 UT institutions. “Fostering and sustaining safe learning environments is critically important to the state of Texas as a whole,” said William H. McRaven, UT System Chancellor, in a press release. “Our mission is to put young people on the path to success. And the research tells us that being the victim of sexual harass-
ment or a sexual assault can be a major stumbling block.” Since the survey was just released, UTEP is still looking at what can be done, but some of the immediate actions are to enhance ways that students can notify UTEP staff and increasing the amount of resources available and trainings as well as education on healthy relationships. “The real value in this is seeing exactly how best to communicate and provide and ensure our students know that the resources that are available to them. Because it’s highly sophisticated survey that went out, and the information acquired will really be helpful to us and further educating or in-
forming students or addressing concerns that they’re bringing forward,” said Catie McCorry-Andalis, dean of students. To see the complete study, visit utsystem.edu/sites/clase/ clase-survey-results. “I want to emphasize that this is not the end of our focus on this issue,” McRaven said. “At the University of Texas System, we want to lead in every way that matters– and nothing matters more than the safety and well-being of our students.” Please be sure to pick up next week’s issue for more information on this issue. Follow Christian Vasquez on Twitter @chrismvasq
natalicio from page 1 has been really, really good in the past few years at UTEP because we are doing something in our society, which is to create opportunities for young people with talent who haven’t gotten the proper opportunities historically. And, that hasn’t just been true in this region, but all over the country and around the world, where talent is squandered because people don’t have the opportunities to get an education. We’re doing something about that and it’s gotten a lot of recognition because not many universities are doing a lot about it.” It was the same opportunity that helped former dean of the College of Education, Josefina Tinajero, who is now special advisor to the vice president of research in education. Tinajero was in the pool of minorities as an undergraduate student at UTEP. “I cannot think of anyone else who is as deserving of this recognition as Dr. Diana Natalicio,” Tinajero said. “She has been an outstanding leader and advocate for this community in general, and for Hispanic students, in particular. Having been associated with the university since I was an undergraduate student myself, I have seen the tremendous progress that UTEP has made under her leadership.” Gary Edens, vice president for student affairs, has had a professional relationship with Natalicio since he was an undergrad himself and is impressed with how far she has brought the school.
“For three decades, she has led UTEP with authenticity, passion and a commitment to student access and success,” Edens said. “She is a bold, visionary leader who sets high expectations for all those who work with her. It amazes me to see the dramatic changes that have happened at UTEP since I was an undergraduate student. Dr. Natalicio’s leadership is transformative and UTEP is a better institution because of her efforts.” Now, for Natalicio, her task is set on sustainability and growth. She believes the school has built an identity since her arrival that needs to be protected. “When you try to be something that you’re not–you try to imitate a model that is not a good model for your setting–you probably won’t do that great. But if you are authentic and understand what your role is, it’s just a question of stepping up and doing it and being proud of it,” Natalcio said. “For far too long, UTEP was imitating other universities and when we began to hit our stride and accomplished something is when we took a look in the mirror and said, ‘Who are we? Whom do we serve? And how do we do that well?’ When we got a good idea about that, we just put one foot in front of the other and did it.” Regarding making the annual list of Fortune Magazine next year, Natalicio said she simply has to “keep working.” Follow Adrian Broaddus on Twitter @Adrian_Broaddus
THEPROSPECTOR March 28, 2017
our view
NEWS | 5 |
Students celebrate TCM, UTEP’s longest-running campus tradition
gaby velasquez / The Prospector On Friday, March 24, students of all majors participated in the celebration of TCM (Texas College of Mines) Day for the third year, which was originally for engineering majors. Students participated in events, which included white-washing the “M” on the mountain near the Sun Bowl Stadium, learning a song to chant, marching in a line across campus and completing group obstacle courses.
THEPROSPECTOR
| 6 | NEWS
March 28, 2017
question of the week
Have politics ever affected your relationships or friendships? nina titovets, claudia hernandez, Alonzo martinez / The Prospector
Michael Brink
Antoine Leon
Jocelyn Villalobos
Valeria Avila
Junior electrical engineering major
Freshman nursing major
“No, we have conversations about it and we may not share the same opinions, but we tend to get over it or look past it.”
“It hasn’t affected a lot of my friendships because the majority of my friends are Hispanic and we tend to share the same views.”
“Politics has made some of my relationships a bit more complicated and in a few cases caused the end of some.”
Athziri Morales
Diego Quiñones
Gabriel Garcia
“Some friends don’t really consider the bigger picture when it comes to politics, that’s why I think it has affected our friendship.”
“I had a friend, who had a very specific political view, and that made him very annoying.”
“The conservativism in politics have always represented my father’s views to me, and I feel tension at the dinner table when discussing certain topics.”
Sophomore computer science major
Freshman computer science major
Freshman theater major
Senior graphic design major
Sophomore mechanical engineering major
Dania Bueno
Sophomore economics major
“I have managed to be able to not allow that to hurt my relationships in anyway.”
“Politics has created fear within my relationships. My family is here with visas, with the current situation within the country, it does create tension.”
Sabrina Arias
Skyler Carreon
Sophomore kinesiology major “Politics has never affected any friendship at all, because we are all very understanding with each other’s views.”
Junior digital media production major “It’s never really gotten in the way. I always try to be as neutral as possible when I talk about politics with my friends.”
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PAGE 7 March 28, 2017
entertainment
Editor
Leslie Sariñana, 747-7477
our view
Students show their talents at UTEP Picks Talent
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4
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gaby velasquez / The Prospector SGA hosted their third annual UTEP Picks Talent event on Friday, March 24, at Magoffin Auditorium. 1. First, second and third-place winners accept their awards. 2. First place winner, Jose Garcia sings a mariachi song. 3. Emily Juarez performs a flag routine. 4. Gerardo Torres performs for the audience and judges. 5. Dania Barroso gives a performance. 6. Third-place winner Tania Wilk. 7. Duo, Lucy and Joan singing.
3 4 3 5 N. Mesa St. ( Next to Wendy’s)
THEPROSPECTOR
| 8 | ENTERTAINMENT
March 28, 2017
upcoming events
Poppies festival returns this weekend
Generationals
El paso wind symphony concert
In the mood
By Leslie Sariñana The Prospector
Every spring, the El Paso Museum of Archeology celebrates the bloom of Mexican poppies at the Franklin Mountains with a festival. This year’s celebration will mark the 11th year of the Poppies Festival. The festival is being hosted on April 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 4301 Transmountain Drive. The El Paso Museum of Archeology
will offer exhibits, a featured film ‘’Frontera,’’ live entertainment, natural tours, archery, food trucks and a live wolf and hawk encounter. There will also be local art vendors selling their work and the dance group Danza La Palma will also give a performance at the festival. The festival is free to the public. Tours of the area will be available at multiple times throughout the event.
special to The Prospector The festival is held at the museum because the poppies only grow on the northeastern side of the mountains and they are easier to see from there. The event has more than just the poppies, there are plenty of other plants and wildlife in that area. “I’ve been going every year since I was a kid,” said Jose Perez, a junior mechanical engineering major. “I like it because you get to see a nice side of El Paso you normally don’t. You don’t see these flowers all over the city.” There will be no parking at the museum. Free shuttles will be provided to and from Cohen Stadium’s lot one and the Northeast branch of El Paso Community College. For more information regarding the festival, call 915-755-4332.
downtown living tour
friday night flick
hijas de su madre
Leslie Sarinana may be reached at theprospectordaily.ent@gmail.com.
queer prom
TAKE
CARE OF YOUR
WATER
KEEP IT
CLEAN
Do not dump waste, chemicals, paint, custodial waste, and general rubbish items (tires, old car parts, shopping carts, etc.) into storm drains, channels, or ditches. No tirar basura, aparatos electrodomésticos, muebles, llantas, y chatarra a canales y acequias del systema de drenaje pluvial.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY OFFICE
HERTZOG BUILDING ROOM 170 (915) 747-7124 EH&S@UTEP.EDU
Keep material out of the stormwater conveyance system (curbs, gutters, sidewalks, streets, drains, culverts, and arroyos). Dispose of grass, leaves, yard waste, and construction debris properly No tapar el flujo pluvial a canales, alcantarillas y arroyos con basura. Disponga correctamente de basura vegetal (césped, ramas, y hojas) así como basura de construción.
Report illegal dumping in storm drains, culverts, or arroyos to UTEP EH&S. Reporte el veritdo illegal de residuosen los drenajes o arroyos al departamento EH&S en UTEP
movie screenings Leave natural vegetation in place where possible to prevent erosion. Si es possible, deje crecer a vegetación en forma natural para evitar la erosion.
Properly dispose of hazardous wastes, pesticides, and fertilizers. Call UTEP EH&S to schedule waste pickups. Deseche correctamente los residuos peligrosos, pesticdas, y fertilizantes. Llama al departamento EH&S en UTEP y agendar fecha para recoger los desperdicios.
Recycle oil, antifreeze, and other vehicle fluids, or dispose of them properly to prevent the pollution of stormwater, groundwater and the Rio Grande. Recicle aceite, anti-congelate y lubricantes o disponga propiamente de ellos para prevenir contaminación de sistema de drenaje pluvial, mantos acuíferos y el Rio Bravo.
Storm drains are easily identified with “NO DUMPING” decals at stormwater inlets. Alcantarifado fe aguas pluviales es identeficado con anuncions de “NO REVERTIR DESECHOS AQUI”
THEPROSPECTOR
ENTERTAINMENT | 9 |
March 28, 2017
306 Sessions to air on KCOS starting in April
Gaby Velasquez / The Prospector Featured bands Deep Shadows (left) and Coyote Blue (right) perform at the 306 Sessions Concert Series on Sunday, March 26, for a new KCOS project.
By eddie velazquez The Prospector
Located at 11394 James Watt, suite 306, amid a sea of storage suites, Zeven Music Entertainment Studio hosts 306 Sessions, a series of concerts, every Sunday at 7 p.m. This series began in October of 2014, and has featured artists from all over town on a stage that consists of two conjoined storage suites. Creator Ruben Chang decorated the stage and the rest of the lounge-like area with recycled material such as bottles and car seats. 306 Sessions is a complementary experience that combines multiple medias. “We produce a nice quality visual that accompanies the music, for people to see their favorite local artists,” Chang said. Its inception involved an aftermovie release party as the studio’s coming out party in September of 2013. “We did a community production in film, ‘Invisible,’ and it involved music,” Chang said. “I brought some friends, who are musicians, to Premier Cinema at Bassett, and when the showing ended, I invited the people to come out and see the studio and that is how 306 Sessions started.” The magic captured that night would live on, as those in attendance asked for the event to become recurrent. “We had those four performers that night, a packed house with over 100 people, and they would tell me to do it again,” Chang said. “I created this community platform for artists to perform for free.” The first official 306 sessions would come a year later, debuting with a supplemental YouTube video component. At its core, with its roots so embedded in film, 306 Sessions benefits from its multimedia environment. “Film is a really big part of what we do because we film the shows, so it doesn’t feel like a transition, it is more of a complement,” Chang said. Despite this fusion of elements, Chang said that music has always been the starting point for his video projects.
“I have always dealt with music and that is what inspires the video component,” Chang said. “I wrote the melody and beat for a song that inspired ‘Invisible.’” Chang also said the variety of artists who perform at the studio have an extended range. “Every night we have had someone different. We have had hip-hop night, blues night, rock night and country night,” he said. “Each one is a standalone set and is special in its own way.” After two years and the release of film project “Paleta Power,” it was time for 306 Sessions to be under a brighter light. “We produced ‘Paleta Power,’ which was an initiative to increase voter awareness,” Chang said. “After that, KCOS loved the product and they were looking for something to produce musically in town, so I showed them 306 and they thought
I created this community platform for artists to perform for free.
- Ruben Chang, creator of 306 sessions
it was a perfect fit.” In a true Renaissance man effort, Chang used his previous experience to land the KCOS gig. “They asked me what experience I had with professional TV productions and I told them I had worked with Telemundo and Televisa. I created a demo with an intro, an outro and some segments, all recorded by me and they had me on board,” Chang said. The broadcast did not change its format from the YouTube days,
as the audio processing stayed the same. However, it did expand in personnel and production duties with the addition of interns. “I conduct interviews, film the performances and I also edit the final product that airs on Saturdays on KCOS,” said Cynthia Marshall, senior digital media production major. The altruistic, artist-friendly business model allows for alternative methods of funding.
“306 Sessions is partly funded by the people who would like to sponsor it,” Chang said. “We record a 30-second commercial advertising their business or company, and they also get blasted on our social media channels.” Aside from the production and the showmanship, community is a big aspect of what 306 Sessions represents. “The gathering of the people is a community, in a place where you can enjoy music, have a conversa-
tion with someone, love, laugh and dance, all in a beautiful environment,” Chang said. For Chang, the journey has been arduous, but satisfactory. “We have had so many artists, volunteers, musicians and openmic artists, it has been a blessing,” Chang said. Follow Eddie Velazquez on Twitter @ezvelazquez
THEPROSPECTOR
| 10 | ENTERTAINMENT
March 28, 2017
Spotify hosts Khalid secret show in El Paso By eddie velazquez The Prospector
eddie velazquez/ The Prospector Khalid performed an invite-only show on Friday, March 24 at Americas High School for Spotify Premium members in El Paso.
El Paso’s man of the hour, Khalid, had an incredible reception at Americas High School during a surprise show on Friday, March 24, at 6 p.m. The unexpected event was organized by the online music streaming service Spotify. Some premium subscribers of the service were notified of the event on an email detailing the location and time of the homecoming gig. “It just happened out of nowhere,” said Karina Garcia, a junior education major. “I never check my email, but something told me to check it and there was an invite to see Khalid.” Americas’ football field served as the stage, while also hosting food trucks and a gif-making booth along the track. Guests were able to enjoy free food from tacos to elotes (corn on the cob) and received “American Teen” branded t-shirts and hats in support of Khalid’s debut full-length album of the same name. To pump up those in attendance prior to the concert, a camera crew was present making the rounds. Some of the footage was made available on Spotify’s Instagram story, and through a post with Khalid doing the sound check earlier that day. Finally, after setting up with his band, there was only an “American Teen” banner separating Khalid from his fans. He came through the tunnel alongside the Canutillo High
School cheer team to a mid-sized, but raucous, crowd that shouted his name from start to finish. It was all action from there, as he opened the evening with “Let’s Go,” an apropos track that would set the mood for the rest of the show. During the performance, drones flew around the stage filming the whole show as well as a camera crew taking pictures both on and off the stage. With its characteristic mellow tone, “Hopeless” followed shortly thereafter. Fans sang along to the track about broken bonds with an energizing, unified voice that encouraged Khalid to show off some of his best moves. Following this song, the Americas graduate addressed the home crowd. “I love El Paso,” Khalid said. “You guys go hard, I’m going to go hard for you guys tonight.” With the crowd in his pocket, Khalid performed “Saved” next, receiving a loud cheer from seemingly everyone in attendance. It is easy to see why the local fans think so highly of Khalid, as he was hyped and showed an electric vibe. He was also responsive to the fans, interacting with them on the microphone after songs. A member of the audience repeatedly asked for the local idol to be his “best friend,” and before “Young Dumb & Broke,” Khalid responded “I will think about it,” drawing a huge reaction from the crowd. “Young Dumb & Broke” was one of the most surprising songs of
the night. Khalid’s crooning vocals and on-stage antics drove the crowd wild, making it a fan favorite for future shows to come. His smash hit “Location” took full advantage of the live stage and accompanying band. The guitar arrangement was sharp and blended seamlessly with the flow of the song, while Khalid surprised those in attendance with his strong and fluent stage presence. For his last song, Khalid described “American Teen” as a “song that is very important to me and to this school. The Coronado High School band also had a drum arrangement exclusively crafted for this song. “Khalid was talking about us having a drum break in there, and my band director asked me if I could come up with a drum fill we could use, so I listened to ‘American Teen’ a lot trying to think of some rhythms that could go along with it,” said Esteban Mesa, section leader for the Coronado High School drum line. As a pioneer of providing an experience of this caliber to his fans, young Khalid and his meteoric rise to fame keep proving his worth to El Paso and its development in the areas of popular culture and music. Follow Eddie Velazquez on Twitter @ezvelazquez
PAGE 11 March 28, 2017
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Metz tackles spring as starter for first time
By Jeremy Carranco The Prospector
El Paso’s own Ryan Metz, out of Andress High School, and his development into UTEP’s starting role at quarterback has been one of the more exciting things in UTEP football for the past two seasons. Metz’s most memorable moment as a Miner came in his first season as a freshman during the 2015 campaign. In just his third collegiate game, down 44-30 with just three minutes and change to go against rival New Mexico State in Las Cruces, Metz initiated a comeback connecting with Cole Freytag on a 48-yard touchdown pass to cut the Miners’ deficit to seven. Following a defensive stop and an Aggie punt that was downed at the two-yard line, Metz came back onto the field leading an eight-play, 98-yard drive to tie the game with an eight-yard rushing touchdown up the middle with just 42 seconds remaining in regulation. Metz became the hero when he connected with former UTEP basketball center, Cedrick Lang in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown in overtime (50-47). Metz finished the game 15-of-19 passing for 218 yards and three touchdowns, helping the Miners extend the winning streak over New Mexico State to seven at the time. In 2015 overall, Metz played in eight games, starting in five and threw for 900 yards on 82-of-140 passing (58.6 percent), with six touchdowns and seven interceptions while rushing for 130 yards and that one crucial touchdown at New Mexico State. His first collegiate start came the following Saturday against FCS team Incarnate Word after proving his worth in the win at New Mexico State. Metz led the Miners to victory with a season-high 275 yards on 20-of-29 passing (69 percent) with a pair of scores, including a career-long pass of 57 yards, while also leading the team with 46 rushing yards. In his 2016 sophomore season, Metz started in seven out of 12 contests, while playing in 11. On the season, Metz threw for a total of 1,375 yards on 130-of-201 passing with 14 touchdowns and four interceptions with a 64.7 completion
Nina titovets / The Prospector In his junior season, quarterback Ryan Metz enters spring practice for the first time knowing that he is the starting quarterback for the Miners. percentage that ranked third best in Conference-USA. Metz again proved to be a clutch player with another game-winning overtime pass when he hit wide receiver Warren Reddix in the right corner of the end zone during a nail-biting five-overtime game at UTSA. UTEP won the game 52-49. Metz finished the season with a 141.14 passing efficiency, which was the program’s fifth-best single-season performance and was ranked sixth in Conference-USA. In the classroom, Metz has been just as efficient. In high school, Metz received the Presidential Award for Excellence and was a member of the National Honor Society with a 100.1 GPA, while ranking fourth in his class in 2011. In 2012, Metz was named to the 1-4A All-Academic team and ranked third in his class. At UTEP, Metz has been named to the Conference-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll in both of his first two seasons (2015,2016). The Honor Roll is awarded to studentathletes in Conference sponsored
sports that have achieved a 3.0 cumulative GPA or above.
I think we can have a special season, it all starts now.
- Ryan Metz, junior quarterback With two years of experience now under his belt and spring ball for the 2017 season under way, Metz is ready for his junior season and the next step in his UTEP career. The Miners began their second week of spring practice this past week and
on Wednesday, March 22, Metz got in important reps during practice in the pocket with applied defensive rush pressure. “I’ve been working on a lot of footwork. I was decently accurate last year, but I’m working even harder to be even more accurate to make those tough passes when coverage is really good,” Metz said. “It’s nice to pass to the open guys, but sometimes I’ve got to make those tight window passes, and it all starts with footwork and getting my feet in the right place.” Metz was quick with his feet and efficient completing passes on Wednesday. During team drills on the line, Metz nailed all of his throws and was quick in the pocket as well. Metz did have a couple of balls come up short from his receivers on his early individual drills, but the focus was clearly there for the junior. “Metz is very comfortable in the offense and most comfortable in the pocket,” said head coach Sean Kugler. “That all comes with experience and maturity. He’s been in this program and understands everything and he’s now more focused on the little things, the fundamentals,
all of which will make him a better quarterback overall.” The Miners held their first scrimmage on Friday, March 24, on a cold and windy El Paso morning in the Sun Bowl, which made the task of trying to move the ball through the air difficult for the junior. “Accuracy wise, there’s still a lot of growth, my second or third pass came out a little wobbly, it wasn’t a great one,” said Metz. “I can’t let the climate or conditions affect me, I don’t think that was in my head, but I tried to change my delivery, other than that I felt good out there.” Metz finished 4-of-10 for 36 yards and an interception. His longest pass during his full-drive sequence was an 11-yard slant route completion to Warren Reddix across the middle, and his longest rush came on a 20-yard scramble during a fourth-down situation. “That was cool weather and it was extremely windy, but our quarterbacks handled it well,” Kugler said. “We just had a couple off throws due to the wind.” Metz believes his offense needs to be much quicker as the season approaches. Last season, UTEP ranked 104th in offensive efficiency with a 31.3 percentage. “We need to pick up the tempo a little bit better going forward,” Metz said. “I don’t think we ran into any issues with the play clock, but we need to make sure we are getting in and out of the huddle quick and that we get our calls in quick.” The Miners’ annual spring game is slated for a 7 p.m. kickoff on April 14, in the Sun Bowl. The season opener is set on Sept. 2, against the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman, Oklahoma. After having the easiest ranked strength of schedule in 2016, the Miners will enter 2017 with two “Power Five” programs—Oklahoma and Arizona— waiting on their schedule while they will also face eight teams who went to bowls last season. Despite the tough task at hand, Metz is excited and thinks they can surprise some people. “I am so excited to play Oklahoma and Arizona,” Metz said. “To get a chance to play a Big-12 and PAC-12 team while representing your city, you’ve got to make the most of it and I think we can have a special season, it all starts now.” Follow Jeremy Carranco on Twitter @J_Carranco22
Cretz relishes role as starter after redshirt season By Mike Flores The Prospector
From the veteran group of pitchers on the roster of the UTEP softball team—three seniors included—it’s the redshirt freshman Devyn Cretz who has stood out in the 2017 season so far. Out of UTEP’s eight wins in the year, Cretz is credited for five of the victories. Before deciding to continue her playing career at UTEP, Cretz was born and raised in Corona, California, where she first picked up a softball at the age of 5 years old. However, it wasn’t until the age of 11 that Cretz started gaining experience as a pitcher. From there, the California-native went on to pitch three seasons at the varsity level for Santiago High School, where she posted a 6-2 record (2.74 era) while striking out 40 batters during her senior outing. She
also suited up for the Corona Angels, her club team. “Her size stood out. As a pitcher, you love size on the mound and she has a great presence about her. She throws the ball extremely hard, which is something different from our pitchers in the past,” said head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk. “She (Cretz) played on a good travel team that faced some of the best teams in the nation—kids that are going to Oklahoma, Florida, Michigan—so I don’t think anyone that she faces is going to be that different. We knew she had talent coming in.” Cretz’s decision to sport the orange and blue for her collegiate career had a lot to do with Echo-Hawk and the atmosphere in El Paso. “The coaches were a big factor in my decision and I just really liked the school when I saw it. But coach (Echo-Hawk) was the main reason I
wanted to play here,” Cretz said. “Everyone was so nice and I felt a really homely feeling out here (El Paso).”
I’m glad I redshirted, so I could have that year to learn.
- Devyn Cretz, redshirt freshman softball pitcher
In 2016, Cretz redshirted for the full year—a successful season, where UTEP softball made the conference tournament for just the fourth time in school history after securing their most wins since 2010 (23-32) and their first winning record in C-USA (13-11). For Cretz, it was a season full of learning and expanding her game from watching and gaining knowledge from the dugout. “I feel like being able to watch the other pitchers, especially Kaitlin (Fifield), I feel like I was able to learn a lot from her both mentally and psychically. She got me mentally tough. I’m glad I redshirted, so I could have that year to learn,” Cretz said. “They (the veteran pitchers) told me that not every game is going to be perfect, and that I need to just do my best every time.” Cretz finds herself with a record of 5-6 while throwing the most strike-
outs for UTEP, with 34 on the season, which ranks her in the top 15 in CUSA. From the pitchers on the UTEP roster that have appeared in doubledigit games, Cretz has the lowest ERA (4.52). Her wins this season have come against Middle Tennessee State, New Mexico, Wichita State, NMSU and Siena. Cretz’s favorite win so far in her short career was on March 1, when UTEP traveled up I-10 to Las Cruces to face the NMSU Aggies, where the Miners edged out the victory, 5-3. The Miners ended a seven-game losing streak against the Aggies that day. “The win against NMSU was such a good win. It was our first game
see Cretz on page 12
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FILE PHOTO / The Prospector Pitcher Devyn Cretz leads UTEP in wins (5) and strikeouts (34) as a freshman.
Cretz from page 11 against a rival this semester, so that was really rewarding,” Cretz said. “I feel like no one was expecting us to win because we haven’t in the past, so it was so exciting to beat them. There was so much energy and it was so fun.” Sitting at 8-20 overall as a team, Cretz has no doubt that her squad can make a push in the standings since conference play just got under way, and since the Miners finally got a chance to play in front of their home fans after 25 road games to start off the season. “I feel like we’ll start to get more wins and we will make the confer-
ence tournament. We just have to continue practicing hard with both pitching and hitting,” Cretz said. With the cavalry of the pitching unit in their last year of eligibility for the Miners, it’s up to Cretz and the other freshman pitcher Allie Johnson to soak up as much as they can from the seniors and be ready to take the helm. “Cretz has done a great job of coming into our team and having that mentality that she wants to be best, regardless of her age. She’s also done a great job with adjusting to the mentality and how much stronger, bigger and faster the college level is at,” Echo-Hawk said. “She (Cretz) has had her mo-
ments, which every freshman does, but she’s definitely overcome those moments. It’s one of those where freshman make mistakes and have breakdowns, but she’s good at noticing her weaknesses and correcting them.” Cretz takes after her role model, Los Angeles Clippers starting forward Blake Griffin, in the idea that both like to have fun off the field, but are all business when the lights come on. Cretz has an older brother that she looks up to, just like Griffin looked up to his older sibling Taylor, who both played Division 1 sports. “I love Blake Griffin, he’s my role model. I feel like he was kind of an underdog in college and then he just kept on getting better and better,” Cretz said. “I can relate to him because he has an older brother and he (Taylor Griffin) was always better than Blake at Oklahoma.” Echo-Hawk said that the main thing she has seen in Cretz is that she is a goofball and a funny and likable kid. “The funny thing is when she gets on the mound, she’s a totally different person, she turns into the biggest competitor and is very focused on just the game,” EchoHawk said. Echo-Hawk will be depending on Cretz’s mix of personality and pitches to carry the Miners forward in the coming years as the team continues to build on last season’s fourth-ever C-USA tournament appearance. One that Cretz no doubt has plans to appear in with her team this time. Follow Mike Flores on Twitter @MikeytheReal
2017 Springtime Track Meet
gaby velasquez/ The Prospector Sophomore hurdler Tobi Amusan ran the fastest 100m hurdle time (12.63) in the world for 2017. Her time also broke the UTEP record, which had stood since 1983.
gaby velasquez / The Prospector Cosmas Boit won silver in the 1,500 meter run with a time of 3:49.46, while Antony Kosgei finished fifth, Daniel Cheruiyot finished sixth and Evans Kiprono finished seventh. Former UTEP star Anthony Rotich won the race as an unattached runner.